Post Race Report
Wow, it's over!
The SITS course is based in an an area of grass parkland and woodland of old, and when we arrived friday morning, 14 consecutive days with rain, and the previous weekends 24 hour Adidas running version of SITS had turned the whole place into a quagmire. Vans were getting stuck even getting into the field! However, it dried alot on friday, practice was eventually allowed late on friday evening, and by 2pm saturday, with some rapid course alterations it was rideable.
2pm saw the half mile "Le Mans" style run start to the bikes, and my plan to walk this went out the window on a wave of adrenaline, as everyone set off in sunshine and high spirits towards the bikes and the beginning of the ride proper.
I say it was "rideable"...... all but a few hundred yards of farm tracks were new soft grass climbs, proper mud, or something that resembled fresh playdough in its consitency! In short, nearly every yard was a relentless slog, with no respite to coast for even a moment... there were even two downhill sections that were so soft you had to pedal downhill or stop! After a few laps the course had dried enough to go over to a more intermediate tyre, which helped a little, though it made it a little hairy on that slippery little bank down through the trees towards the campsite, where there was, as usual a sharp left hander at the bottom, and a great many bloodthirsty spectators waiting for the inevitable carnage! Vocal crowds of supporters were out urging everyone on, esecailly on the climbs and technical areas, and the afternoon wore on well. A brief shower and kit change stop at 8 pm after the first 5 laps meant also fitting lights ready for the hours of darkness approaching and then it was out again
The night was long and misty, but thankfully pretty dry apart from a heavy dew which set the course back a bit in its drying out which made the going heavier and slower again.
Dawn was something of a disappointment. I've always found it a great time when team racing: I guess I'd been looking forward to it too much. Anyway, a rather dreary sunrise at 5 am left me with 15 hours done, and 9 hours still remaining. This was something of a blow to realise that, even though i was well past halfway, I still had as many hours to go as I had ever done in one continuous ride before! Still, fuelled by mugs of pasta, gels and my secret stash of haribos, I pressed on. I did try and smile for my photographer buddy as planned, but on seeing the photo's now, I think the only emotion i seem to have been conveying was abject misery.
My pit crew ( Ben and wife Tania, and our two other kids Matt and Ellie) performed flawlessly, keeping me supplied with food, fluids, relayed motivational text mesages from family and friends, and produced placards telling me to "get a move on" , but all i wanted to do at around 8 am was just close my eyes for a little while: I can as a result confirm that it is almost impossible to ride in a straight line with your eyes closed, for even a few seconds, however much you convince yourself that "it'll be OK, that the edge of the farm track will act like the rumble strip on the edge of the motorway, and that if I just close them for a moment it'll be fine" it won't; it'll end badly! Farm tracks, unlike the motorway do not have hard shoulders, they have ruddy great spiky Hawthorn hedges! I dreaded getting a puncture then as i was convinced that if I got off the bike I would just lie down in the grass and sleep where i was!
A second wind, born of many the many caffiene laced products i was getting down me i think, saw me onwards, and after an interesting morning that saw me helping a young lady having an asthma attack, and helping a crashed solo single speeder ( now they are the REAL nutters!) out from under his bike in a big clump of nettles when he hadn't got the energy to unclip himself ( i reckon he'd have needed a dock leaf the size of a bath towel to deal with all the stings he had!) Seeing people on the course more miserable than yourself is always a bit of a boost, cruel i know, but true!
Sunday was bright warm and sunny in the end, and the course seemed to get busier with more riders as the day wore on again (funny that, it was damn quiet at 4 am!) and amogst the many spectators arriving, the bunch of students supporting the Loughborough University team were back in full voice on the climbs near the end of the lap, with air horns,cowbells, banging bin lids and old forks, and generally urging everyone on! The weather was relatively kind for a SITS weekend, and after24 hours, 17 laps and 136 miles i finished at around 4 minutes past 2 o'clock on sunday, having managed to save my fastest lap of the event for the last one.
I finished 23rd overall from 79 solos, and 7th of 29 veteran solo's, and when asked by my training partner Rob about doing it again, vowed "not in this lifetime". Within 2 hours of finishing i was allready discussing how i could have squeezed in another lap, and within 2 days had pretty much resigned myself to doing it again! I think, the more I talk to other soloists, that it's a pretty addictive thing, 24 hour soloing. Roll on 2010 ! anyone care to join me?
Huge thanks again to everyone that has sponsored me, especially to Air & Ground Aviation Ltd, to my it crew and supporters, my training partners, and to everyone who chipped in with advice and other forms of help and kit.
Peter
Latest update 01/08/09 Air & Ground Aviation Ltd step in as title sponsor!! see further below
Thanks for taking the time to have a look at this page.
In August this year I shall be taking part in my first 24 hour Solo mountain bike race at "Sleepless in the Saddle" , starting at 2pm on Saturday August 8th.
I am raising funds for The Donna Louise Trust, who provide hospice care and other services to "life limited children".
Thats terminally ill children to you and me. That means children who won't be going home. They are children that don't get a happy ending. They don't live happily ever after.
At the trusts Treetops Hospice respite and terminal care are provided to help children and their families at this most dificult of times. They also provide care in childrens own homes, and help their families too. The majority of their annual funding comes from public donations each year, so please, if you can help, no matter how small the donation, please help us raise the funds we need. I have met with staff members there and have been touched by their dedication and levels of care for their young patients and their families.
I'm not a super endurance athlete but I am taking training seriously: I ride 3 times a week, and am now up to a total of 10-12 hours a week, and will be increasing this over the next few weeks in readiness for the event, on top of running a small business and having a family. The event starts at 2pm on Saturday 8th August and runs continuously through the night on an undulating off road course of 8 mile laps, until 2pm on Sunday. My goal is to ride continuously with only stops to change kit and refuel as necessary. The more donations we get, the more motivation there will be to keep ploughing on during the dark cold hours of the night!
If you're having dificulty donating online, please send donations to Peter Nadin, Great Haywood Dental Practice, Rosegarth, Brewery Lane, Great Haywood, STAFFORD ST18 0SN, cheques made to "Donna Louise Trust"
UPDATE 30/6/2009
WOW! i'm overwhelmed by peoples response and generosity. Thanks so much! With the Gift aid that Justgiving.com reclaims for the charity from the tax man, we've just gone past £300 raised so far!!!
Training is going well, spending MANY hours welded to my bike, but I am very fortunate in that I have a good group of friends and family (especially Ben and Matt) who are helping almost ona rota basis to keep me company on the long rides.
Please keep spreading the word about this fundraising effort, to everyone that you can think of. Remember ALL funds raised go to Donna Louise, I meet all my costs involved myself.
Corporates and Businesses, I'm still looking for a Title Sponsor! Make me an offer I can't refuse and I'll get you more positive coverage than you can handle. For a smaller donation I will dedicate a lap to you, and provide pics of me in a Tshirt in that lap bearing your logo or message. Then you are free to use it in your company PR/website/blog etc.
UPDATE 3/7/2009
Unbelievable! What a fantastic response. Well past the £500 target I set myself , and because Justgiving.com reclaim an additional 20% from the taxman for donations made by UK taxpayers it's worth EVEN MORE to the trust, over £600 at the moment!
I am overwhelmed by peoples generosity, and more motivated that ever with my training, and with the effort to contact even more potential sponsors! May have to rethink my target, too! PLEASE keep passisng on details of what I am doing to ANYONE you can think of, it really helps, ESPECIALLY if you know they are a cyclist or mountain biker, or a parent.
UPDATE 4/7/09
Revised Target Set ! With the success so far I have had to raise the bar some more, so £750 is my new goal. With the GIFT AID that donating via this site generates I am not that far of it now, so please, if you can help, or if you can pass these details on to anyone you know ( copy the link out to a few folks in your address book perhaps) .
Training is going well, finished another 6 hour ride last night just after midnight: thanks to Brian, last night's riding buddy who joined me for the second half. it was a beautiful night too, loads of deer out and about (alot of our training is done on or around south stafforshire and on cannock chase). Bike is getting a bit of TLC today, couple of things need some minor attention, ready to go out and do it all again tomorrow.
UPDATE 11/7/09 - NEW TARGET!!
The amazing response from you people has meant that once again we have hit our new target, so in time honoured Blue Peter style, we are adding a new totalizer, and revising the target upwards to a stunning £1000 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With only 4 weeks ( and one and three quarter hours! ) as I type this this, training is going well, bike is generally behaving itself though several spects of the maintainance schedule are being brought forward due to all the extra riding hours it is getting these last few months.
Its almost a miracle that i'm riding at all as only 6 weeks ago I had a nasty accident with a ketle of boiling water whilst away camping, and lost alot of skin from my right foot. Some FANTASTIC care from my local practice nurse saw me back on the bike in only 2 weeks! Huge thanks to Brenda and Dr Emmanuelle at Hazeldene house surgery in Great Haywood.
http://www.bikeadventuresuk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7497
Thanks again to everyone that has donated, and to those people that have passed on the details/link to others. Keep it going!
UPDATE 22/7/09 £1000 Reached!
Fantastic effort everyone, many thanks for your support, we have now raised well over a grand, in fact well over £1100 as of this morning. Keep it going, if you can think of anyone else you could pass this on to, please do. Training is going well, with six hour rides on saturday and sunday last weekend catching the best of the weather that was on offer. Huge thanks to my training buddies Rob T and No 1 son Ben for coming on a day each, the company helps keep me honest on the intensity levels, it stops me "slacking off" and taking it too easy! Thanks Guys. Off for our regular wednesday evening ride tonight for a bit of serious speed with the Haywood Wednesday posse, not that it gets too competitive you understand! After trying a few differrent saddles too, I've reignited my love affair with my Fizik GobiXM after all, and I'm sticking to that for all my training rides again. Typical, back to my original....!
Update 27/07/09
Well, another week of training done, my last "full" week of training that was, around 140 off road miles over 3 rides, in alot of rain. Next two weeks are "taper" weeks, easing off the intensity of the training ready for the event itself ( in 11 days time!). Thanks to last weeks ride buddies Ettienne, Brian and Ben, wednesday regulars Rob, Nick and Andy ( especially Rob for the entertaining over the bars incident at Stepping Stones!) for the company. Funds now coming in thick and fast, now nudging £1500 when gift aid is added! Thanks too to the Ladies in my local Spar shop in Great Haywood who are collecting sponsors for me on the till there and doing a fantastic job! Also to everyone who has donated so far, you're generosity is amazing... good karma to you all!
Update 01/08/09 Title sponsor steps forwards!
Air & Ground Aviation Ltd have stepped up to the mark and taken up the role of title sponsor for my efforts and stumped up an amazing £1000 taking my total to £2628.00 with one week to go before it all kicks off for 24 hours of mud sweat and gears! Thanks to everyone at Air and Ground aviation for the support! Its a fantastic boost for a great cause!
Weather is looking a bit grim! Final prep work on the bike this weekend, training is tailing off now, after a very fast and wet ride out wednesday night with Andy ( apologies to all the sensible riders we blew past on the way back down Sherbrooke Valley, but we were on a mission! Over 15 minutes faster than the same time last year over our 20 miles circuit, something must be going right with our training!). Think i'll be packing plenty of mud tyres for next weekend, but have heard encouraging news about the organisers contingency preparations for really bad ground conditions.
